The Bloody Prince of Camelot
by TruffleHead
Summary: A... mild... AU. Morgana doesn't exist- and, by extension, neither does her servant, Gwen. Merlin? Ah, yes, you see... he's a bit of a girl. Actually, quite a lot more than a bit of one. He's a whole girl. And Arthur; what about him? Right, yes. He was born with magic.


**I tried to make it loosely- very loosely- follow the basic plot of the first few episodes of Merlin. :) Just a bit of fun; I don't plan to continue this. Firstly, I'm lazy, and secondly... let's just pretend there's actually a second reason.**

**I have to admit- both these characters have some major ooc issues- I mean, Arthur is really snarky (well. maybe not terribly ooc, then) and Merlina is all nice and surprisingly un-snarky, but let's just pretend that it's all because of the whole gender-swap/ ooh let's give him magic thing. ;)**

It's been three days. Three days since my life was ruined.

Oh, who am I? I'm sorry, my name's Arthur. I'm the bloody prince of _Camelot,_ and yet that doesn't seem to _bloody. Matter_!

Oops. Sorry, again. Let's slow down, take a deep breath, and start at the very beginning.

My name is Arthur. I'm the prince of Camelot, son of Uther Pendragon, and I was born with magic.

The ruining of my life? Ah yes. That happened later.

It was a Thursday afternoon.

As I was eating my breakfast and making a point to fail to attend the magic execution that was being held outside-

Oh, that's right. You see, my father's the king, of course, and he sort of banned magical practice. Punishable by death.

So, I might be a warlock, but I've never actually told anyone. It's more lonely than you might expect, but you get used to it very fast.

Anyways. I suppose this all _really_ started with the meeting of a particular girl- Merlina. Now, the first time I met Merlina, she insulted me. Repeatedly. The only reason I think _didn't_ throw her in jail was this weird... feeling I got when I was near enough to her.

It took me a while to place it, and the only reason I think I ever did was because I've been exposed to it so often. All those sorcerers that had been tried and found guilty of magic, that very same emotion coursing through me as I looked into their eyes... Yes, it was that very same feeling. Quite a bit stronger with Merlina, which is what threw me off, but it didn't take me much longer to reach a conclusion.

Merlina had magic, I was sure of it. And that day, the day I had finally put my finger on the emotion that had coursed through me so many times before, when I had looked into the eyes of the ones to be executed, was also the day I began to fear for her life.

It was also the day I might have had a minor emotional breakdown, (I was sure she was going to be found out and _executed_, for Christ's sake!) but let's not get into that. We can get into the lovey- dovey stuff later.

Maybe.

Anyway. About the creepy tingly feeling I got whenever I looked into her eyes.

Okay, so maybe 'creepy' isn't the right word. 'Unique', definitely, and I'd even allow '_bordering_ on creepy', but don't get me wrong.

It's the most wonderful feeling I've ever had in my life.

There's probably a fancy explanation out there somewhere, about the magic in one automatically being drawn to the magic in another, but the truth is, it's like finding a long lost sibling or something. It's like this great big weight is lifted from your chest and you finally, finally don't have to be lonely anymore.

At least for me, that's what it felt like. I've.. I've met a lot of sorcerers and sorceresses in my lifetime. Did any of them live long after I met them? No. But that's an entirely different matter.

You see, when this person was _executed_ the next day, the emotions- those wonderful, mysterious butterflies in the pit of your stomach- washed away.

Now that, _that_ is one of the worst feelings I've ever had.

It was worse with Merlina; the feeling was more obvious. Why that was, I wasn't sure. What I was sure of, though, was that I was terrified for her. That little voice in the back of my head kept reminding me, urging me, _'You know what will have to happen. You know what always does. Go away. Forget about her. It'll only hurt more for the both of you if you refuse to distance yourself.'_

But really, who actually listens to that voice in the back of their head?

My mind was probably, in truth, a little fuzzy from my little "automatic magic-proximity-alert" thing going off in my head all the time, and so, while I didn't go actively seeking her out (yet), I didn't exactly... avoid her, either.

But that didn't seem to matter; she always seemed to fine me, anyways. I would run into Merlina on the streets, lock eyes with her at banquets- heck, I even nearly started a fight with her once! (Okay, that was her fault, she challenged me, alright? Call me big headed, but I can't just turn down a challenge like that.)

I knew she was drawn to me. How else could you explain the fact that she just kept coming back, over and over? Accidents don't just happen _accidentally_. ... You know what I mean.

Yes, it must have been the magic, that much _I_ knew for certain. I just didn't know if _she_ knew it. I think that _she_ thought it was love.

And it was later- much later- that I even considered the possibility that it might have been both.

* * *

The first time she saved my life, she had killed another of her kind. At first, I was just confused at how she _could_. Of course, she had to. The witch was throwing a bloody _knife_ at my chest, for goodness' sake! All I knew is that _I_ wouldn't have been able to. I can barely make it through the executions.

I wonder if that makes me different. Or maybe Merlina's just strong. Nevertheless, I can't imagine how that must have felt. We're so lonely as it is.

But it didn't stop there, as you might expect. Fate had other ideas.

I confronted her about it the next day, I needed to actually properly talk to her. I wanted to talk to somebody about my magic; I wanted somebody to finally understand.

And maybe even kiss her, but that part of the plan didn't develop until later.

Or at least that's what I told myself.

I had heard that she was living as Guias' ward, so I stopped by the physician's home right after I awoke.

Gaius looked surprised to see me, but recovered quickly. "What can I do for you, Sire- I hope you're feeling well?"

"Yes, yes," I said dismissively, itching to get to the heart of the subject. "I was wondering if I could speak to Merlina. Is she in?"

Gaius seemed unsettled by that, for some reason. "I'm afraid not, Sire, she's off doing my rounds."

I pouted while simultaneously keeping his masculinity intact (just one of my many talents, thank you very much). "Alright. Thank you, Gaius."

Gaius' face softened. "You're very welcome, Sire."

I had spun around and opened the large, wooden door when something small, warm, and disturbingly _human_ shaped collided with my chest.

Said human shape then collided with the floor.

The tingly feeling had returned. I wonder if she felt it, too. She must, for how strong it was.

"Merlina?" I had said, watching as the girl struggled to regain a position that was _not_ parallel with the ground. "What'd the floor ever do to you?"

She rolled her eyes at me before they flickered to Guias. "Come to arrest me, Sire?" She joked, yet there was something in her eyes that I wouldn't have been able to identify if I had not known her secret. Knowing now, however, I was fairly certain it was fear.

She masked it very, very well. Too well. That kind of skill you only gain from practice, and a lot of it. Of everything I'd learned about her, that saddened me the most. How must it feel to have to hide your very being from everybody you know, because you're afraid that they'd kill you for it? Hide what _makes_ you who you are, to everybody you care about, frequently?

Well, maybe I did know a bit about what that was like.

"Why? You interested?" I asked jokingly, trying not to make eye contact. The feeling got worse, then, and I feared I would lose it completely. In front of Gaius.

That would end well.

She made a face in my general direction, although here eyes were still locked on Gaius.

I sighed, ready to get to the point. "I need to speak with you."

Merlina tensed, (obviously still worried that I would do something absurd like _arrest her_) but nodded her head.

She didn't actually move.

I set my jaw. "Alone, Merlina."

"Oh, right, yeah," she mumbled, stumbling to the side so I could get through. I walked past her and headed for my chambers, motioning for her to follow.

There were a few whispered words that passed between the physician and his ward- ones that I couldn't quite make out- but soon I heard her light, clumsy footsteps shadowing me. A few minutes later, we arrived at my bedroom.

It was then that I realized that I hadn't... actually... prepared anything to say. Sure, I had a vague idea, but speech making had never been my stronghold, and "Hey Merlina, I know you're a sorcerer- oh no, don't run! Surprise, I'm one too!" Didn't seem quite right.

I cleared my throat. Merlina looked like half of her was eyeing the window as a possible escape route and the other was resisting the urge to make some sarcastic jibe (ignoring the fact that I was the bloody prince of Camelot) or possibly call me a prat again.

I do not like being called a prat.

I needed to say something.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you, I just need to... tell you something." I managed. Weak, maybe, but it got the point across. I patted myself on the back. "Something that I thought we should discuss without even Gaius in the room."

Merlina raised an eyebrow, completely oblivious. Figures. Go ahead and make it hard on me, then.

I sighed, deciding to go the blunt route. "Merlina, I have magic."

Her eyes widened in surprise, and then, only a moment later, softened in empathy. "Arthur-"

I put my hand up (because I'm the bloody prince of Camelot) and stopped her words, shaking my head. "No, it's okay. I know you have magic, too."

When she didn't answer right away, I feared maybe people just had tingly feelings sometimes and maybe that was normal or something. "Um. Well. You do have magic, right? I mean, at first I was just going off this sort of... feeling... but-"

Her face broke into a brilliant smile, stopping me mid- sentence with one word.

"_Volare_." She raised a hand, and off it flew a lovely, multi-colored butterfly. (Yes. Definitely magic. I was fairly certain she did not have a butterfly in her hand before.) It flapped its wings over to me, where it promptly decided land on my nose.

_Merlina_ had the _nerve_ to _giggle_.

I sent her a look, and resisted the urge to blow her butterfly off of my face. Who knows. Maybe this was some sort of obscure, sorcerer-meets-sorcerer handshake thing.

The butterfly flew off a moment later, thank God, and I watched as it disappeared in a cloud of gold.

Merlina spoke first. "So you felt it, too." She sound relieved. "I hadn't the courage to ask Gaius if it was the magic or not." Merlina grinned sheepishly.

"Yes, but what makes _you_ different?" I insisted. "How come it's stronger with you than the-" my voice broke off for a second, but I cleared my throat and moved on. "-the other people who were executed?"

Merlina took on a solemn expression immediately; her entire face changing. "I can't imagine how hard that must have been." She said quietly to herself. Swallowing, she said a bit louder, "It's probably because I'm a warlock."

"I'm sorry?" I deadpanned. Like she expects me to know all this fancy magic termanology.

"A warlock- like you. _Born_ with magic. We hadn't chosen this path; this path was chosen for us." She paused, her expression turning thoughtful. "And, as I'd like to believe," her blue eyes locked onto mine and seemed to be trying to relay some sort of message, "for some sort of reason."

"Was this the whole reason you came to Camelot? This sort of... destiny?"

"You could say that." Merlina said, smirking like she knew something I didn't.

I did not like that look. I pursed my lips, saying, "Tell me."

She grinned. "You."

Right, yes, because _that_ made a whole lot of sense.

"Which means?" I asked.

She smiled at me. "It _means _that you're going to be a great king, Arthur."

I laughed, humorlessly. "Well, let's hope so."

Her blue eyes didn't leave mine.

Cue the romantic music.

And. Well. You can guess what happened next. What can I say? I kissed her.

Yes.

My life was definitely ruined.

**Couldn't help the Supernatural reference there. ;) It was far from subtle, so I'm sure all of you Wayward Sons caught it.**

***salutes* See you all around.**

**=^..^= TruffleHead**


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